Sport is often used as a metaphor for conflict; Two opposing sides doing their utmost to gain the upper hand, to outwit their opposite number, to force their opponents into submission. But sport also offers the chance for humanity to shine through in the darkest moments of war.
In the ongoing genocide in Palestine, sport acts as a bridge for international support to reach the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where at least 784 people (including at least 167 children) have been killed in Israeli assaults since October.
In the city of Ramallah, Palestine’s de facto administrative capital, children have been enjoying the traditional Irish sports of Gaelic football (GAA) and hurling for the first time, in sessions hosted by Irish Sport for Palestine.
The sporting group state that their aim is to provide a safe space for children to “enjoy these sports and thrive amongst the turmoil of conflict”, adding that these sports can give the children “hope, confidence and connection.” The sessions are delivered in Ramallah’s Am’ari Camp. Home to between 3,000 and 4,000 children, it is one of the most densely populated refugee camps in the region.
Home to between 3,000 and 4,000 children, it is one of the most densely populated refugee camps in the region.
Stephen Redmond, who launched the fundraising campaign to set up GAA Palestine, described what it means to the youngsters in an interview with The Irish World: “They were just so excited to have some hurley sticks [...]. We’re helping people focus on something different rather than the conflict, and bringing a bit of happiness.”
With a team already set up in Hebron, and another potentially being set up in Bethlehem, there are hopes that games can soon be held between the three West Bank sides, though Israeli-imposed restrictions make travel between the cities difficult.
“This is not just about sports for Palestine, this is more than just a sport,” he continues. “They are so grateful and thanking Ireland so much and the Irish people for this. They know that we love them [...]. They’ve got a friend there.”
Stephen hopes to one day bring children from Palestine to play GAA in Ireland, perhaps even Croke Park (the home of the GAA). Such a prospect seems a long way off at the time of writing.
Another example, again with Gaelic ties, comes from what some would consider an unlikely source: football ultras. Celtic Football Club’s Green Brigade, who have a history of Palestinian solidarity, have forged a strong relationship with Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem.
When UEFA fined Celtic £8,600 in 2016 for their fans waving Palestine flags in a Champions League tie against Israeli side Hapoel Be'er-Sheeva, the Green Brigade raised £176,076 with their hashtag #MatchTheFineForPalestine. The money raised was split between Medical Aid for Palestine and the Lajee Center in Aida Camp.
In 2019, the Lajee Center launched the Aida Celtic football academy, which sees young Palestinians sporting their namesake’s famous green hoops with the simple aim of providing “young Palestinian footballers with a fully equipped and financed football setup”. They hope that Aida Celtic can be the next example of how football can “break barriers and bring hope”.
The Lajee Center has now been taken over by Israeli occupation forces for use as military barracks
Unfortunately, Aida Celtic shared in a recent Instagram post that the Lajee Center has now been taken over by Israeli occupation forces for use as military barracks, showing once again that safe places are few and far between for Palestinian children and young people.
Internationally, the Olympic games has served as a platform for individual Palestinian athletes to pursue their life-long dreams of representing their country. The Olympics, which has recognised Palestine as a sovereign state since 1995, has provided the grounds for one of the most poignant stories in sport today, of a team who against all unimaginable odds, made it to the Paris 2024 games.
The country managed to send a delegation of 19 athletes, a far cry from the planned 300, due to the devastating toll of recent conflicts. Trainers, athletes, and support staff were among the countless victims. Yet, despite this immense obstacle, the resilience of the Palestinian team took precedence. “It’s definitely been a setback, but I think in terms of our ambition... and our willpower, it was not affected,” says Diala Shaheen, the chief nutritionist for the Palestine Olympic Committee.
Among these athletes, Mohammed Hamada stands as a beacon of perseverance, like a phoenix rising from the ashes of occupied Gaza. Risking his life to cross the “safe passage” through the Rafah crossing point, Hamada arrived in Paris with feelings of destruction and loss etched into his memory.
Before every lift, he remembers the streets where he played as a child, now scarred by conflict, and the grave he dug for neighbours lost to violence. These trials forged a formidable competitor.
These trials forged a formidable competitor.
Hamada endured the loss of 18 kilograms over a five-month period, where he was forced to eat animal feed in order to sustain training.
Weightlifting is woven into Hamada’s lineage; his uncle was an athlete in the sport, and his older brother, Hussam, serves as both his coach and the head of Palestine’s weightlifting team. Mohammed made history at just 18 as Palestine’s first Olympic weightlifter in Tokyo 2020 and later claimed gold at the 2022 International Weightlifting Federation Junior World Championships in Greece. These athletes, like the remarkable 22-year-old, serve as a testament to the will-power of humans, even in the most atrocious circumstances.
